A Ballinger

A Lude

AL Mertl

B Viginier

BJ Adams

BT Forschler

C Peeters

EG Lebrun

EO Wilson

H Bharti

HL Vasconcelos

J Adis

J Heinze

J Moog

J Smallwood

LM Ellis

MG Nielsen

ML Cornelius

MW Moffett

NJ Mlot

RW Klein

U Maschwitz

WLA Osbrink

WR Tschinkel

Scientific Reports

AbstractFlooding causes destruction of shelter and disruption of activity in animals occupying subterranean nests. To ensure their survival organisms have evolved various responses to combat this problem. In this study we examine the response of an Indian ant, Diacamma indicum, to nest flooding during the monsoon season. Based on characterization of nest location, architecture and the response of these ants to different levels of flooding in their natural habitat as well as in the laboratory, we infer that they exhibit a dual response. On the one hand, the challenges presented by monsoon are dealt with by occupying shallow nests and modifying the entrance with decorations and soil mounds. On the other hand, inundated nests are evacuated and the ants occupy shelters at higher elevations. We conclude that focused studies of the monsoon biology of species that dwell in such climatic conditions may help us appreciate how organisms deal with and adapt to, extreme seasonal changes.</jats:p

Swetashree Kolay

Sumana Annagiri

Crossref

Dual response to nest flooding during monsoon in an Indian ant

Dual response to nest flooding during monsoon in an Indian ant

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Crossref